Clotheslines

Talent show:Ann-Marie Rigney, one of 28 finalists in this year's international Mittelmoda competition in Italy, is a National College of Art & Design fashion graduate from Shankill in Co Dublin.

She will be competing next month for the €10,000 prize for best collection, along with a host of other awards. One of the categories, for most innovative knitwear collection, was won last year by Irish designer and Limerick School of Art & Design graduate Sinead Clarke, who is currently working with Missoni. Rigney's graduate collection won her this year's River Island bursary and impressed for its lovely, elaborate shapes created by translating origami methods to fabric. "My muse is an elegant, austere woman who seeks to look powerful, yet sexy," she says. The competition takes place on September 14th-15th in Gorizia in Italy, after which she will work with River Island in London.

Missing piece

Fans of Jigsaw (of which we were many) will have been sorry to see its only Irish store, in Grafton Street, Dublin 2, close down recently when its lease was sold to Ted Baker for €1.4 million. We tried to discover whether it will open again in Dublin, and though its head of customer services was too busy to take our calls, we did manage to find out that it is "actively looking for a suitable city centre site". The company has been in the news for other reasons, too, being the workplace of Prince William's friend Kate Middleton, an accessories buyer since last October. Founded in 1972 by its now multimillionaire owner John Robinson, Jigsaw is one of the few successful independent UK companies, with more than 40 stores in the UK. It launched its second US flagship store in California last October.

Little gems

Where are Trinny and Susannah these days, you might wonder? In the newly-launched Littlewoods Ireland catalogue, owned by Family Album, the pair have created a range of coats and trousers (modelled by the duo) to complement different body shapes as opposed to sizes. It's a novel concept, the proof of which will lie in the wearing. Designed to provide key pieces for a classic wardrobe (how many times have we heard that before?) the collection consists of two coats: a black tuxedo style (€135) and a belted brown tweed number (€120); a metallic jacket (€120); three wide-leg trousers and with one classic straight leg (all €59). There is also a trim, navy peacoat (€92). For a free catalogue telephone 01-8112222 or shop online at www.littlewoodsireland.ie.